Cigarette extinguisher



Sept. 16, 1941. Q A655 7 2,256,420

CIGARETTE EXTINGUI SHER Filed May 2,- 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l a .1; 4 A5 /6' i:

Inventor M7? 8514. A ee d w Q y w 1/ 2a Sept. 16, 1941. c. A. 'r. AGEE 2,2

CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Filed May 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f i 1/, Fi -3" 2/ 14 6 llfllllll millllllllls Q 1n ventor A iiomey Patented Sept. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Charles A. '1. Agee, (lollingswood, N. J.

Application May 2, 1940, Serial No. 333,029

2 Claims. -(Ci. 131-235) This invention relates to extinguishers for cigarettes and an object of the invention is to provide a device of this character and through the medium of which a cigarette may beextinguished without injury thereto as would prevent i'urther smoking thereof; the device also being capable of use as an ordinary ashtray and having the added advantage of being readily applied to any suitable receptacle to be used for collecting ashes and smoked butts.

Thus through the medium of a cigarette extinguisher embodying the features of the present invention the unsightly appearance of a tray full of ashes and cigarette butts may be eliminated as will also be eliminated the disagreeabl odors from burning cigarettes when discarded.

Further, an extinguisher embodying the features of the present invention will tend to reduce Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through a perforated block forming part of the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-50! Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the block shown in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a shuttle plate.

Referring more in detail to the drawings it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the extinguisher comprises a tray 5 of suitable depth and dimensions and provided with a depending skirt 6, the latter being adapted to be telescopicall associated with the upper part of any suitable receptacle such as suggested by broken line in Figure 2 and indicated by the reference numeral I so that the device is supported on the receptacle in a manner that the contents of the device may be readily received by the receptacle.

In connection with the above it will be noted that the bottom 8 of the tray adjacent each of the several sides of the tray is provided with an elongated slot 9 through which ashes accumulating in the tray may readily pass into the receptacle 1; there being further provided beneath each slot an inwardly extending and downwardly projecting baiile III that will serve to direct ashes and the like falling through the slot into the receptacle 1.

Also each wall of the tray 5 has suitably mounted thereon an inclined rest II for a cigarette or cigar as the case may be, these rests ll being arranged preferably adjacent each corner oi! the tray as shown.

The tray at the center thereof is also provided with a block II that extends throughthe bottom 8 of the tray so as to project upwardly from the bottom 8 a reasonable distance, and downwardly from the bottom 8 into the confines of the flange or skirt 6 as shown in Figure 3.

The block i2 is provided with a series of vertical through openings or apertures l3, the diameters of which are slightly greater than that of the average cigarette, and for the lower ends of these apertures ii there is provided a shuttle plate ll.

The shuttle plate II is in the form of a rectangular plate provided with a transverse opening or slot i5 that normally is disposed opposite an imperforate portion of the block i2, and is of a size to register with at least two apertures l3. Also, and as shown, the length of the shuttle plate It is the same as the block I! so that when the shuttle plate It is moved to a position aligning the opening i5 therein with a pair of apertures l3 a second pair of apertures are cleared to the end that substantially all of the apertures l3 are open entirely through the block, under such circumstances, to permit any cigarettes therein to fall by their own weight into the receptacle l.

The shuttle plate I 4 has formed integrally with or otherwise secured to one end thereof a push and pull rod it that works through a guide I] integral with a handle ii that extends laterally of the device from the skirt or flange 6. In this connection it will be noted that the handle II is in the form of a block having finger-accommodating openings l8 therein, and that the valve rod it works through the block intermediate the openings. Consequently the outer or headequipped end iii of the valve rod may be engaged by the thumb of the hand, the fingers of which are engaged in the hand-accommodating openings l8 so that said rod. i9 may be readily pushed inward for moving the shuttle plate H to an open position.

The shuttle plate It operates between a pair of guide channels 20 provided therefor at the bottom of the block i2, and movement of the shuttle plate II to an open position is limited by engagement of a shoulder 2| provided on the stem Ii with one sideoi the block l2.

Also, the shuttle plate H is yieldably and normally held in closing position through the medium of a coil spring 22 housed within the guide l1 and having one end impinging against a shoulder 23 on the stem; outward movement of the stem in response to the spring 22 being limited by reason of the engagement of the shoulder 23 with a flange 24 provided at the outer end of the guide H as clearly shown in Figure 3.

It will be also noted that the walls of the tray I are inclined at an angle to the perpendicular and that the rests l I are so arranged and inclined with respect to the slots that ashes falling from the ends of cigarettes on the rests II will be directed to and through the slots 9 to accumulate in the receptacle I. Thus there will not be an imnecessary accumulation of ashes in the tray and the spreading of ashes or the spilling of the same from the tray is effectively guarded against.

To extinguish a cigarette, the lighted end of the cigarette stub is inserted in a selected one of the openings I3 and rests upon the closed shuttle plate I. Shortly following such insertion of the lighted end of the cigarette, the iire will become smothered and the stub may be left in the aperture until it is desired to remove it for relighting purposes, or by pushing inwardly on the rod It to move the shuttle plate ll to open position to permit the stub by its own weight to fall through the aperture from the block l2 into the receptacle 1.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility, manner of use, and advantages of an extinguisher embodying the features of the present invention will be had without a more detailed description thereof; it being further understood that while I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it isin no wise intended to restrict the invention to the precise details of construction, combination and arrangement of elements as herein disclosed, but that I distinctly claim all such forms of the invention to which I am entitled by the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a cigarette extinguisher, a tray adapted to be positioned on a receptacle and provided in the center of its bottom with a block having vertical through apertures, said block having a portion projecting above the bottom and another portion projecting below the bottom and the apertures being arranged in transverse rows in the block, a shuttle plate for said apertures slidably mounted on the bottom side of said block and having a transverse slot therein, said shuttle plate having a push and pull rod extending therefrom, a spring device connected with the rod yieldably urging the shuttle plate to a position where the slot is in a position located between two rows of apertures with solid portions oi the plate closing the lower ends of the apertures and a stop on the rod for engaging a part of the block, when the rod is pushed inwardly, to move the plate to a position where the slot will uncover the lower end of one row of apertures while a portion of the plate ceases to cover the lower end of another row of apertures.

2. In a cigarette extinguisher, a tray adapted to be positioned on a receptacle and provided with a lower skirt part with the bottom of the tray extending across the top of the skirt part, a block passing through the bottom of the tray and having vertically arranged apertures therein with the lower end of the block spaced above the lower end 01' the skirt portion, a slide plate supported for horizontal movement at the lower end of the block, a rod connected with the plate, a tubular portion extending outwardly from a part of the skirt part of the tray and through which the rod passes, a spring in the tubular portion and a shoulder on the rod engaged by the spring, said spring holding the parts in a position with the plate closing the lower ends of the apertures and said rod having a shoulder thereon engaging a part of the block when the rod is pushed inwardly to stop movement of the parts with the plate uncovering the lower ends of the apertures.

CHARLES A. T. AGEE. 

